Skip to content

segfault with readDCF on R 3.1.2 on AIX 6.1 when using install.packages

4 messages · Vinh Nguyen, Jeff Newmiller

#
Dear list,

I was able to successfully compile R on our AIX box at work using the
GNU compilers following the instructions on the R Administration
guide.  The output can be seen at here
(https://gist.github.com/nguyenvinh/504321ea9c89d8919bef) and yields
no errors .

However, I get a segfault whenever I try to use the install.packages
function to install packages.  Using debug, I was able to trace it to
the readDCF function:

Browse[2]>
debug: if (!all) return(.Internal(readDCF(file, fields, keep.white)))
Browse[2]>
debug: return(.Internal(readDCF(file, fields, keep.white)))
Browse[2]>

 *** caught segfault ***
address 4, cause 'invalid permissions'

Possible actions:
1: abort (with core dump, if enabled)
2: normal R exit
3: exit R without saving workspace
4: exit R saving workspace
Selection:

Was curious if anyone has a clue on why such error exists or what I
could do to fix it?  I'm able to install packages via R CMD INSTALL,
but I would hate to have to manually determine dependencies, download
the source for each package, and install them "by hand" via R CMD
INSTALL.  Would be great to get this resolved.  Thank you for your
help.

-- Vinh
#
I went back and compiled older versions of R to see if this error
exists.  On R 3.0.3, I get:

debug(available.packages)
install.packages('ggplot2', dep=TRUE, repo='http://cran.stat.ucla.edu')
...
Browse[2]>
debug: z <- res0 <- tryCatch(read.dcf(file = tmpf), error = identity)
Browse[2]>
Error: segfault from C stack overflow

On R 2.15.3, I do not see the error.

Thanks!

-- Vinh
On Tue, Nov 11, 2014 at 8:10 AM, Vinh Nguyen <vinhdizzo at gmail.com> wrote:
#
Perhaps you are not using a compatible compiler. I believe this is off-topic for this mailing list, though.. see the Posting Guide.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff Newmiller                        The     .....       .....  Go Live...
DCN:<jdnewmil at dcn.davis.ca.us>        Basics: ##.#.       ##.#.  Live Go...
                                      Live:   OO#.. Dead: OO#..  Playing
Research Engineer (Solar/Batteries            O.O#.       #.O#.  with
/Software/Embedded Controllers)               .OO#.       .OO#.  rocks...1k
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Sent from my phone. Please excuse my brevity.
On November 11, 2014 8:10:49 AM PST, Vinh Nguyen <vinhdizzo at gmail.com> wrote:
#
On Tue, Nov 11, 2014 at 10:06 AM, Jeff Newmiller
<jdnewmil at dcn.davis.ca.us> wrote:
I'll move this question to r-devel.  Thanks.

-- Vinh